[Video] Here Are 6 Very Frightening Bear Encounters

In the United States, Canada and parts of Europe, bears are the apex predators, they have no competition other than mountain lions (in North America that is), with the exception of human beings and the chances of a run-in with a bear are pretty slim.

But, even though that may well be the case, you still don’t want to take any chances when out in the woods. If you are hiking off the beaten path, it is always smart to take along a pistol, or bear spray, just in the event that you might run into a bear.

This is an excerpt from bearsmart.com:

Understanding bear behavior is an essential part of creating safe environments for both bears and people. More often than not, bear behavior is misinterpreted. People all too often interpret what a bear does in terms of their own fear. To truly understand bear behavior, you must interpret bear postures and vocalizations in terms of what the bear fears.

Bear behavior can be predictable. The more you can learn about bears and how they behave, the less likely you will be to have a negative encounter or misinterpret interactions.

Bears are predictable. In fact, bears are usually more predictable than people. If you learn more about bears and how to interpret their behavior, you will be able to react appropriately when you see them and avoid a negative encounter.

Bears are NOT ferocious. They are NOT mean or malicious. Bears are normally shy, retiring animals that have very little desire to interact with humans. Unless they are forced to be around humans to be near a food source, they usually choose to avoid us.

Bears, like humans and other animals, have a “critical space” – an area around them that they may defend. Once you have entered a bear’s critical space, you have forced the bear to act – either to run away or be aggressive. The size of the critical space is different for every bear and every situation.

*If you would like to read the entire article simply click HERE.

With all that said, sit back and enjoy the video from the safety of your home and pray that none of these encounters ever happen to you.

H/T – bearsmart.com